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illustrent  la  m6thode. 


1 


K 


GOLD  AND  COAL  RHSOIRCES  OF  ALASK.A. 


SPEECH 


OF 


HON.  WATSON  C.  SOUIRE, 


OF  WASHINGTON, 


IN    IHE 


SENATE  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 


February  28,  1895. 


1895. 


NVvf 

Sn  n  Mr  «^ 


SEP  i?  6 '6(1 


'60 


SPEECH 


OK 


HON.   WATSON    C.  SQUTEE. 


The  Senate  having  under  consideration  tiie  bill  (H.  R.  8518 1  making  appro- 
priatif^ns  for  sundry  civil  ex])enses  of  the  Government  for  the  fiscal  year  end- 
ing June  30, 18%,  arid  for  other  purposes. 

Mr.  SQUIRE.     I  otiler  the  ameiulment  wliicb  I  send  to  the  desk. 
The  1  RESIDING  (»FFIOEK.     The  anieudment  will  be  stated. 
The  Secketaky.     Ou  i)age  79,  after  line  21,  it  is  jiroposed  to  in- 
sert : 

For  an  investigation  of  the  coal  and  gold  resources  of  Alaska,  $5,000. 

Mr.  SQUIRE  said: 

Mr.  I'HESirENT:  I  wish  to  say  a  very  few  words  on  tliis  subject. 

What  little  is  known  of  the  j^eological  history  of  Alaska  as  re- 
gards the  mountain  system,  which  forms  part  of  the  continuous 
mountain  chain  of  the  west  coast  of  our  continent,  x>oints  to  a  con- 
siderable analogy  with  that  of  the  western  slope  of  the  Sierra  Ne- 
vada in  California,  so  well  known  tin  a  great  gold-producing  region. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  geological  conditions  vary  very 
much  in  all  tl:e  dift'erent  gold-pioducing  regions  of  the  world,  and 
a  want  of  knowledge  of  these  peculiarities  is  the  cause  of  many 
Jailurcs  of  mining  enterprises,  a  great  waste  of  capital,  and,  often 
absolute  ruin  to  the  pioneers  who  undertake  the  development  of  the 
mineral  veins  without  previous  knowledge  of  their  geological  pe- 
culiarities. 

It  appears  to  me  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  ]irominent  functions  of 
the  United  States  theological  Survey  to  make  the  preliminary  inves- 
tigations, and  thus  give  miners  ami  cai)italist8  some  surer  basis  to 
work  on. 

It  has  been  proved  that  Alaska  is  rich  in  mineral  resources,  and 
by  the  efforts  of  the  hardy  and  adventurous  miners  who  have  had 
the  courage  to  make  the  pioneer  efforts  to  develo])  thtise  resources, 
the  output  of  gold  is  steadily  increasing.  In  18S(i  the  amount  of 
gold  recorded  as  produced  in  Alaska  was  $5,l»51,  in  18'J2  it  was 
!i«l. 000,000,  and  the  amount  is  steadily  increasing. 

There  is  a  certainty,  also,  that  tlie  actual  amount  of  gold  produced 
is  much  larger  than  is  shown  in  the  official  reports,  as  there  are  a 
large  number  of  individual  miners  who  carry  away  and  sell  the 
gold  they  obtain.  It  is  therefore  a  certainty  that  the  actual  amount 
extracted  is  very  much  larger  than  indicated  by  the  ligures  I  have 
(juoted. 

Dr.  Day,  the  expert  of  the  Geological  Bureau,  prepared  a  careful 
work  entitled  Mineral  Resources  of  the  United  States,  being  the 
edition  of  18S7,  in  which  he  gives  the  statistical  matter  relative  to 
gold  and  otlier  minerals  in  Alaska.  1  sliall  ask  to  have  inserted  in 
my  remarks  the  list  which  appears  in  t\m  volume.  I  shall  not  take 
18S0  3 


^•^^6344 


the  time  to  n^ad  it  at  prfsont.     Tlio  list  will  be  fouiul  on  pages  G95 
and  *?«5  of  the  voiiiine  to  which  I  have  referred. 

By  nnauinions  coiisfut  the  matter  wns  ordered  to  by  inserted  iu 
the  Kf'.«  ol;i>  as  follows: 

ALAS-KA— MINED 


Hiteralo^ical 

tlikftlti. 


Common  name. 


Ki'inarks. 


Arz»-ii:ite Sihi-r  i^laucp 

Brrtliierite .Siili'liiile    ot    anti- 
mony uu(l  iron. 

C<at.  ^ar.  lig-     Lignite 

Bite. 

Galeaite Galenii,  siilpliiile  of 

lead. 

Garnet Garnet 

Gold Goli) 


Prrite. 


MiV^r.  native 

SpLaierirc  — 
Tesrahe-lrite 


Pyrites,    iron    aul- 
"idiuret. 

Win'  silver 

Jiltnilf.  blackjack . 
Ciray  copjier  


<ila(iiT  Hay,  in  ilolcmiitic  liniiistone. 

Gla(  iiT  Bav,  assoiiatfd  with  silver  and 
gold. 

C.ii)!'  I.i.'^lmrne,  Arctic  coast,  occa.sionally 
tiiili/cd  liy  whaltT8  and  United  States 
rovtiiiic  vcs.Hcls. 

Juiicaii,  associated  witb  nyrite  and  mined 
for  gold  and  silver;  Goibvin  Bay;  aurif- 
erous. 

Largo  crystals  of  iron  garnet  obtained  by 
natives  at  Wrangol. 

Juneau,  DDUglas  Islanil,  Silver  dow Basin, 
Sitka.  Vakiitsk,  Llcrner's  Bay,  and  nu- 
merous idacers  on  tributaries  of  the  Yu- 
kon. The  Alaska  gold  tields  contain 
free  gold  in  quartz  veins  and  irreg\ilar 
lodes,  auriferous  sulphurets,  and  shallow 
placers. 

Auiileroua,  at  Douglas  Island,  mined  for 
gold. 

(iiacier  liny,  associated  with  native  copper. 

Juneau,  mined  lor  uidd  and  silver. 

Glacier  Hay,  mined  for  silver  and  gold. 


ALASKA— NOT  MINED. 


A5br3tas 

C«icite  .. 


A.sbestus  .. 
Limestone  . 


Copier Native  copper 

ChaJcopyrit?  ..  Copper  pyrite.-* 

Ca.-iL  bitumi-  Coat ". 

Gold 


Goid    . 


I 


Galena,  sulphide  of 

lead. 

Phuiibago,   black 
lead, 
Liznite Lignite 


Galenite . 
Grapbite 


Muscovite 


Mica. 


Prrite Pyrites,     iron    sul- 

phi.ret. 
i  Silver 


Reported  in  several  localities. 

Near  Silica,   Kielisuoo,  (iiacier  Bay,  and 

elsewhere. 
In  small  i|uantities,  Glaeii-r  Hay;  also  at 

headwators  of  Copper  Kiver. 
Iskinds  ol'  Alexander  Ariiiiix'la^o. 
Ueporti'd  at  sevi'ral  places;  more  properly 

lignite  (  0- 
Maii\  uuworked  jdacers.  especially  on  the 

Yukon  and  along  the  coast. 
Several  uuworked  claims. 

Near  Port  C'laronce,  Glacier  Bay,  Golovin 
Hiiy. 

Coast  of  .\rctic  Ocean,  near  Cook  Inlet, 
Admiralty  and  Kniii  islands.  Woody 
Island,  on'  Kobuek  Kiver  and  tributaries 
ol'  the  Vukon. 

Ke](orti'd  in  considerable  quantities  at  va- 
rious )(oihts. 

year  Sitka  and  at  many  other  points;  often 
aurileiiHis. 

Silver  ores,  mainly  with  ba.se  suli)huret», 
at  viu'ioiis  points,  not  worked  but 
thought  to  be  availatile. 


Dr.  Day  states  that — 

There  i.*  plenty  of  gold  in  Alaska,  and  that  a  great  deal  of  money  could  be  made 
tLer*  if  some  co'mpauv  would  undertake  to  furnish  tran8por(ation  facilities  for 
reaching  the  mines.  "The  Treadwell  mine,  which  is  the  only  great  capitalized 
mineral  property  in  Alaska,  is  one  of  the  most  profitable  in  the  world,  but  that  is 
due  not  so  much  to  the  richness  of  the  ore  as  to  the  practical  business  abUity  and 
aconomy  ahown  in  its  management. 

ladO 


"Tlioro  lui;  liiindretls  of  mini's  in  tlii-"  ccnntry,"  said  Dr.  Diiv,  "  vritli  niiuli 
rJoli((r(i()|M)nits  tlian  ;no  (nnnd  on  iIim  TrcMilwell  proii.ity  tliat  ilo  not  p:iy  :it  all, 
wliile  tliat  yields  bi;;  dividi'nds.  it  i.-*  siiii|ily  a  niattiM  oV  priidc-nl  and  aide  man- 
ajjonnMit.  I'ln' wann' can  lie  said  ol' tlie  Hotiifstake  niinti  at  Dtudwood.  wliitli  ia 
very  similar  in  I  lie  rliarailer  ol  its  oic  and  in  its  imtiiods  of  iiianau'i'tncnl. 

"On  tlio  Viikiin  liivcr  and  its  luaiiilics  and  fecdi'is  tluTO  is  plonty  of  plaoer 
gold,  and  tlio  fiiillicf  yon  go  up  llie  bettrr  it  gets,  liiit  tlioro  is  no  way  to  rcacli 
tliat  (■onntry  t'xci-pt  by  cidssiii^  tlie  iiiountains  on  toot  from  SitUa  of  by  going  tip 
tliu  Yukon  Ki\er  in  tlic  s)iiiiig,  when  it  is  clear  of  ici.',  A  little  steannr  eotn- 
nienies  I  iiiuiiiig  e\  eiy  year  about  Afiril,  and  makes  ;e;;iilar  lri|is  for  tlio  lieneiit 
of  tourists  and  miiitMs"  until  tlie  water  freezes  up  inllie  iiiU  :  but  owing  to  the 
rapids  it  is  able  to  go  but  a  comparatively  sliort  (h'stanee,  and  then  t lie  miners 
liavo  to  get  canoes,  dugouts,  and  olLer  boats,  and  make  the  rest  of  the  distance 
tlie  best  way  they  can. 

"Tito  current  is  swiit.  tlu^joitrnev  is  slow,  and  attended  witli  great  tlangor.  The 
miners  carry  sup]dics  lor  the  entire  season  and  if  they  happen  to  meet  witli  an 
accident  tliey  are  entirely  dependent  upon  llic  generosity  ol  others.  Thoy  go  up 
aa  early  as  tliey  can  in  the  spring  and  stay  as  late  as  they  I'an  in  the  lall.  but  they 
scarcely  e\er  get  more  than  six  months'  work  out  of  the  year  They  iiiiiko  good 
"wages  as  a  rule-,  but  there  is  a  great  deal  ol'  link  about  it.  and  most  of  the  work 
ia  done  with  no  other  facilities"  than  a  pick  and  a  pan.  Occiisionally  some  capi- 
talist luings  in  a  cradle,  and  his  name  ia  celebrated  for  enterprise  all  through  tlie 
oauip. 

"  The  winteris  terribly  cold  and  long  and  dreary,  and  unless  a  man  is  very  well 
honsed  andliasplent,v  of  provision.she  would  not  d<)  well  to  remain  in  the  camp  after 
snow  tlies.  Two  or  three  years  ago  an  Kiiiilishmaii  wintered  way  u))  the  \  iikon, 
but  he  did  not  leave  his  cabin  the  entile  season.  Wheti  he  came  aw,i\-  he  swore 
■that  the  aurora,!,,:  ealiswa.s  not  visible  at  tlie  latitude  of  tlu^  Yukon  '  River,  but 
it  turned  out  that  ae  had  never  been  out  of  his  cabin  and  the  windows  all  looked 
the  other  way. 

"  If  a  company  should  lie  organized  to  develop  those  regions  for  gold,  as  tlio  Hud- 
son iia\  Companv  worked  IJritisli  America  tor  t'ur.s,  it  would  make  a  great  deal 
more  nioiiey,  Tiiere  is  pleiit\  of  coal  in  Alaska,"  Dr.  Day  addml,  "and  there 
aro  lead  mines  within  the  Arctic  (.'ircle." 

Coal  (ixists  al.'o  in  Alaska,  as  was  well  known  to  the  Rus.sians  for 
many  yctirsliefonUlicimrcliase  of  the  Territory  hy  the  Uiiirod  States. 
One  niiuo  wa.s  oiiened  by  them  on  tlie  .shore  ol  Coal  Bay  in  Griihams 
Harbor,  but  the  oj)eriitor.s  having  followed  tiieseiiin  under  the  bay, 
the  water  broke  throni;h  tind  the  mine  w;is  abandoned.  I.atcr 
anothi'r  mine  was  ojiened  near  the  lirst,  and  consitbTablc  cotil  was 
taken  ont ;  liitt  with  the  triin.sfer  of  the  Territory  to  the  L'uitcd  .'States 
all  o])eratioiis  oeased. 

Within  the  last  few  year.s  attention  hits  again  been  directed  to  the 
coal  deposits,  and  several  veins  have  been  discovered  niea.siiring 
from  5  to  G  feet  in  thiekness  tnul  tra<'eable  for  ti  distance  of  2  miles. 

Thti  Keport  on  Alaska  and  Its  Kesmirees,  \V.  H.  Dtill,  1870.  pages 
473-<l:75,  describes  the  oeeiirrence  of  eoal.  On  page  ■17.")  the  analysis 
of  coal  from  Cook  Inlet.  Alaska,  shows  lO.S!*  per  cent  tixed  carbuu, 
39.87  vobitile  comlmstible  matter.  7.82  ash.  1.2r>  moisture.  This  is 
of  a  higher  grade  than  the  Namiinio  coal  of  \anc()tiver  Island,  btit 
the  sn))piy  is  too  limited  for  eonimereial  usi;.  Only  the  ontcrop- 
pings  of  Cook  Inler  ha\e  been  exiimined.  Nr  geolog'cal  investi- 
gation has  l)een  mtide  as  to  the  occurreuee  of  commercial  coal  else- 
where in  this  region. 

If  the  appropriation  is  made  for  the  investigation  of  the  coal  and 
gold  resources  of  Alaska,  it  .should  be  made  immediately  available, 
as  the  geologist  should  letive  Washington  in  April. 

At  no  place  on  the  Pacific  coast  can  the  development  ,i  coal  mines 
prove  of  greater  importance  than  on  the  coast  of  this  far  northwest- 
ern Territory. 

It  is  cortiiiu  that  a  systematic  examination  of  its  mineral  deposits 
by  scientilic  geologists  will  be  of  inestimable  value  in  aiding  the 
develojoneut  of  the  country  and  giving  direction  to  the  hitliorto 
unaided  efforts  of  (he  pioneers  in  the  mining  industry, 

1  have  other  matters,  which  I  shall  not  take  the  time  of  the  Senate 
1880 


6 


to  read.  I  will  :isk  ti»  have  jmltlislied  with  my  remarks  an  oxtra  t 
from  the  •' MiiK'tuI  litxoiincsor  the  I'liitiMl  Statts  i'm  lS!U,''iii  rela- 
tion to  coal,  coiitaiiied  in  a  i)airer  Ity  E.  W.  I'arkcr,  found  on  paj^a-  o.". 

Al.A-KA. 

At  no  i)liifn  on  tlie  Pacific  can  the  dcx  cldimiciit  of  coal  niinos  prove  of  yn  attr 
ini|i(]ilaii(  I- Ili.iii  nil  f  liiMiiast  of  this  far  nurtliucst  I'l'ii  itoiv.  I'lif  existi'iio^  of 
coal  iij  Alaska  \va>  kimu  n  to  tlic  ItiissiaiiM  fur  nunu  vcarH  \)ff()ic  tlic  imrcha  h- 
of  tile  Ti'rritory  liv  tlic  rnitiii  Stan  ».  ami  oiu-  mini-  was  o|it'iiiil  by  Ihiiii  on  the 
shores  of  Coal  Hay.  in(iralianis  llarlior.  liut  as  the  oiicrators  (the  liiissiaii  Aineri 
can  Coiniianv)  loiioweil  the  scam  iinchr  the  bay.  antl  liavjnc  cut  jiito  a  stream  of 
water,  the  mine  was  llooch'il  ami  a  baud.  mid.  l.,aler  another  mine  was  o|hihiI  near 
tht«  first,  ami  lansidciable  coal  uas  taki  n  out  hut  with  the  transl'ei  of  tlie  Terri- 
t<irv  to  the  r  nil  I'd  Stati's  all  ojicrat  ions  ceased,  and  until  iiuite  rocciilly  no  liirl  her 
attem|)lsat  niiniiij;  C(]al  wire  made. 

In  the  last  few  yrars  alti  tiliiin  has  licen  ai;nin  directed  to  these  deiioait.s,  and 
iiidiralions  point  to  the  cslablishmc  iil  nf  a  tloiirishinL'  industry  at  an  early  date. 
In  the  siiiuiiicr  of  lHi»l  a  party  of  pro^pectois  started  irom  .San  Francisco  jor  the 
luirposf  ol  fxaminiiiu  drpiisits  of  I'oal  on  tin-  Island  id'  lJn;;ah,  one  of  the  Shiinia- 
Kill  ijroiip.  at  thf  sbuthwist  point  ot  t  he  Ti-rritory.  The  party,  of  uhom  Mr.  K. 
\V.  Worstir  and  Col.  S.  Lucas  were  prominent  members,  ntiirned  to  San  Fran- 
cisco iu  Xoxeribi-r.  Tliey  rt'iiort  till' existence  of  several  veins,  measuring;  from 
ato  (!  feet  in  ihiekness  and  tr.iceable  lor  a  disiani'e  ot  2  miles.  A  trjimway  lia« 
been  built  from  the  mine  to  a  bunker  with  a  ^l.'iu  ton  capacity  at  tide  water. 

Then  I  have  an  extract  from  the  Mineral  Resonrce.sof  the  United 
.States,  for  the  calendar  year  WJ,  on  the  "  I'l-oifress  of  the  precioUM 
metal  indii.stry  iu  the  United  states,"  by  F.  8.  Emmons. 

AI..\sKA. 

Tlie  {rcinral  trend  of  tlie  nionnl.iin  s>  stems  of  the  west  coast  of  our  continent 
runs  more  to  the  west  id'  north  than  dues  that  of  the  I'oast  line  itself  ,■  h(-nce,  from 
Washiiiiiton  northward  throujih  Hriiish  Columliia  to  smil  hern  Alaska,  an  ever- 
incnasjn;;  portion  of  these  mountains  have  in  jiart  run  out  into  tlie  ocean,  and 
form  the  reuiaikably  cnntiuiioiis  tiiaiu  of  island-s  « hich  lend  so  much  uceiiic 
beauty  to  llie  Alaskan  cnast. 

Wh'af  little  is  known  oi  their  jieoloi;ii  al  history  jioints  to  a  ron.sidorable  anahii;y 
with  that  of  t  he  u  isteni  ■-biiii  |if  t  he  Sierra  Nevada.  \  iz.  an  uplift  in  I'ost  .1  uiassic 
or  early  ('leUieous  times,  IblloWHil  liy  a  depo.^ition.  in  comparatively  shallow 
w, iters,  ot'lalei  Creiaceims  and  Tertiary  beds,  with  Imal  develoiiiiicnt  of  impui-. 
taut  coals  and  fieiiueiit  exhibitions  of  eruplive  eneri^y  continued  down  to  com- 
parativeh  recent  ^i  olouical  time. 

•Vs  to  ttie  Alaskan  |ieiiinsula  proper,  beyond  Mount  St.  Klias,  whoro  the  coast 
line  takes  a  trend  due  west  and  then  southwest  still  less  is  known  seologioally, 
lor  exploralioiis  liave  been  eontined  to  the  immediate  banks  of  the  Yukon  Jiiver, 
wliicli  is  eitlier  sn  far  north  or  so  far  in  the  interior  as  to  lie  beyond  the  beneticent 
mriiience  (il  the  Jiiiianese  ^ult  sireani.  which  alone  renders  the  imniedi.'ite  coast 
line  of  southern  Alaska  inhabitable  during  the  cohbT  pari  of  tlie  year. 

It  is  known  that  the  coal  beaniii;  J.. iramie  roeks  extend  tar  iinrthward  lowaid 
the  Arctic  Circle  in  the  interior,  and  that  the  cross  idiain  of  the  Aleutian  Islands, 
wliidi  extends  soiithwestw  ard  from  the  point  of  tlie  ]ieiiiiisula.  is  eruptive  and 
probably  of  recent  orii;in  ;  but  while  it  may  be  considered  probable  that  iLieolojiiical 
representatives  of  the  idder  rocks,  which  tbrm  the  niuuntaiu  i  ha  ins  farther  south, 
exleiid  into  the  ]ieninsula.  the  detenu inal ion  of  this  fact  is  not  ot  much  evident 
importance  to  the  niiuini;  indiistrv .  since  climatic  conditions  would  a]ipear  to  be 
such  as  I     preclude  extended  iiiinin;;  oiierations  there. 

It  is  the  island  belt  and  tlii^  immeiiiate  shores  of  tli(>  mainland  hi  southern  Alask.a, 
with  its  comiiaiativelv  mild  climate  and  easy  wat^'r  traiisiiortation  over  inrdosi d 
Wiiters.  that  oiler  the  "liest  opportunities  lor  the  systematic  deelopnient  of  the 
mineral  wealth  ihat  geolouieal  c  inditions  show  must  exist  In  tlie  region.  The 
development  of  this  wealth  may  be  said  to  liave  commenced  with  the  'leeade,  and 
the  tirst  stC)  vere  taken  by  the  placer  miners  with  their  t;old  pans,  Wiishiiiii  the 
sands  of  the  streams  and  the  debris  from  the  hillsides.  They  did  not  con  line  them- 
selves in  their  explorations  to  tin-  coast  belt,  but  crossed  the  moimtaius  to  the 
waters  llowiiiK  into  the  Yukon  Kiver. 

Here  ^ravels  rieh  enough  to  ]iay  under  primitive  methods  have  been  found,  and 
from  the  Yukon  district,  iwi  F"orty-Mile  Creek,  over  a  <|iiarIerof  a  million  dollars' 
worth  of  yold  is  .said  to  have  been  obtained  without  the  use  of  mercury,  It  is 
(jiiile  impossible  to  determine  with  any  accuracy  the  amount  of  gold  actually  (iro- 
ilueed  by  such  workin;;s.  on  account  of  tlie  iiuinher  of  individual  miners  wlio 
tarry  away  and  sell  the  i;old  dust  they  obtain:  hence,  the  tiitiireij  Kiveu  below 
may   be   taken  as  eonsiderably  below  the  actual  amount  extracted.    It  seeiiia 

1-80 


I 


226:- 


iliiiilitl'iil.  liowfvcr.  "ln-tluT  tliii  iiiliTinr  nmnli"-,  wlicii',  owing  tn  the  aevrrity 
ot'  tile  cliiiiatti,  it  is  ])iisRiMo  to  work  li's«  tliuii  ii  iIiIkI  oi  tlio  yt-ar,  iiml  tlir  ox|it'iistt 
ot  tran^iiiorliii;;  snpplii's  over  tiie  iiiouiitaiii-.  i-i  V'tv  ^^leat,  will  evii  Ihm  oiiu'  tlm 
Mrclie  of  s\  slcliiiitic  Illillillli. 

In  the  I'oiHt  licit,  liouivir.  expIoratioiiH  '.'oiist3(iiifiit  uiion  placer  niiiiiiiu  ImvH 
alii'iiily  l("c|  to  vein  tiiiniiii:.  Otic  important  mine,  tlio  Trcail'.vcU.  njion  Uoiiirlas 
iHlaiiil,  in  latilmic.').-  ,  iiiinlmcs.  Imucvci-.  t  wo  I  liiids  oT  tliccsl  imatcil  output  of  1  lie 
I'ciriloiy.  ll  is  a  (lu.iit/.  voin  40ii  fee;  in  wiclih,  caiiyiui,'  liiB  jiold  ami  aurilcroun 
pyrites,  wliiili  outcrops  on  a  .steei>  liillsiile  niiiniii;:  ilown  to  the  seashore.  Tlin 
ore  i.M  (if  8iuh  very  low  ^laile  tliat  weri'  it  not  for  tlic  peculiarly  ailvaiitajieou.s 
situation  of  the  mine,  wliiili  reiluecs  cost  to  a  miniiniiiii,  it  could  hardly  lie  worked 
at  a  pmlit  Asit  is.  iiowcver,  good  iiianaLienient  and  an  intelliiient  exin'inliture 
of  capital  have  de\  clopeil  a  larfjc  paviiii;  mine,  wiiicli  has  producod  diirin:;llin 
past  four  yiMr-s  an  annual  a\erai;eol  nearly  three  (|u.irters  of  a  million  ol^old, 
and  lias  had  a  must  benutlt  ial  etfuct  in  stiiuiilatini^  systuinatic  mining  in  tlio 
rciiion. 

I'liH  niiuerai  lielt  a.s  thus  far  developod  has  a  longitudinal  extent  of  about  100 
miles  in  a  not  thwestc  rn  and  soiitluastcrn  direction,  but  i.>  said  to  be  only  a  few 
miles  wide,  and.  even  should  it  ]irovo  to  be  y:coloy:irally  wider,  climatic  condilion.s 
will  probably  conliiie  the  area  of  prolitable  \M>rkiiij;  to  the  immediate  luoximity 
of  the  ocean.  The  ;;eiiernl  i;e(i|o;;ical  condilioiis  that  pre\  ail  in  this  belt,  aa  far 
as  known,  show  a  close  riseiiiblance  to  the  j;old  bell  of  Calil'ornia:  like  the  latter 
the  values  are  iirincipally  in  (jold.  wiiiih  is  accompanied  in  certain  imrts  of  the 
region  by  silver,  jralciia.  and  copper  ores.  It  ks  proliable.  liowe\  ci'.  that  in  tlih' 
colder  n'^ioii  the  limit  in  dojif  li  of  free  jiold  or  oxidized  ores  will  he  sooner  reached 
and  the  miller  be  liroufrht  to  face  the  problem  of  ]iroiilalily  ireatin;;  aiiriferou.s 
.sulphiirets  which  b.is  so  often  proved  an  insurmountable  obstacle  to  the  con- 
tinued <levtdopmeiit  of  gold  mines.  This  obstacle  has,  liowe\er,  already  lipcn  suc- 
cess I  ully  ovorcome  in  tlie  Tieadwell  mine  by  the  adaptation  of  the  cliloriuatioii 
jM'ocess. 

The  annual  product  of  the  Territory,  which  is  gi  ecu  a.s  exclusively  ;;okl  itho 
siher  product  being  coniparali\  ely  in^iLTnilicant).  slows  a  steady  increase  during 
the  decade.  This  iiii' lease  is  remai  kalile  rather  fur  lis  regularity  than  its  amount, 
ami  is  hence  of  more  favoraliU'  import  for  liie  permanency  of  the  (levelopnient  of 
the  mineral  resources  than  wiuild  ije  one  suliject  to  violent  lluctuations.  for  wliile 
the  discoveryof  exceiitionally  rich  oro  bodies  iindoubiedly  causes  a  raiiid  de\  elop- 
nicnt  of  the  district  in  which  I  hey  occur,  the  reaction  w  liich  follow.s  the  inevitable 
exhaustion  of  such  liodies  may  more  than  <'ounteract  the  good  elect  which  they 
have  had,  so  far  as  its  iierm.ineiit  iirosperity  is  concerned. 

Prixlifctioii  of  tjolil  ill  .ihtskii  siiicfl  1-tSO. 


Yoar' 


Value. 


1880 $5,951 

1881 !      15.fKK» 

l)iX2 i    15i).(Ni() 


188:i. 

18S4  . 
]s,S5  . 


^.iio.ood 
:j(»i).(ifH) 


1886 44tl,iXH) 


Yeiii's. 


Value. 


]S,s7 i  $(575,000 

],s,><s 85<i.iH,(( 

l.S.H'.t " 0(H). (KKt 

l.SiHI riiU'.IHHI 

1M)1 '.MIt).()(N| 

18'J2 1.0(^k(XKJ 


I  merely  wish  to  say  in  cunclusiou  that  I  think  while  we  havn 
the  Greoloo-ical  Bureau  we  ought  to  iiialve  it  of  advantage  to  the 
pei>])le  of  the  extreme  northwestern  part  of  the  country.  It  may 
be  said  that  the  appropriation  already  made  for  that  Bureaii  is  suf- 
ficient to  cover  the  proposed  investigation  in  Alaska.  1  wish  to 
address  myself  to  that  point  for  one  mcnnent.  and  then  I  .shall  tuk«3 
mv  seat,  'in  t891-!)2  the  appropriation  was  All.-i.OdO:  in  isii-j-'.t;;  it 
wa.s  .SoD.OOU:  in  189;5-9-t  it  wa.s  .•JTO.OUO;  in  189-1-95  it  was  .SHiO.oiiO. 
In  addition  to  the  appropriation  of  $11.">.000  for  the  year  lsi)l-93 
the  sum  of  $;57,20O  was  appropriat<>d  for  salaries  of  f  "ologists. 
This  was  cut  down  in  189'2-9:].  under  the  Carey  amendment.  $lo,- 
701).  and  the  aminint  has  not  since  l)een  changed. 

In  the  pending  bill  the  total  appropriation  for  .geology,  includ- 
ing salaried,  is  fixed  at  5)113,  ruu.  Owing  to  the  large  reduction  as 
1880 


?2fi3/54 


8 


Tlie  Plli' SIDING  OFFICER, 
the  auiHiKliiU'iir, 
Tlif  fuiiemliaeut  was  agreed  to. 

isso 


investij,'a- 
The  quostiou  is  on  agreeing  to 


